Publishing Your Book in the ASA-SIAM Series

Chapter
4 - Writing
Your Manuscript

Authored Books

We recognize that each author's writing style is unique and we will
not attempt to change it. The following suggestions are made to
improve readability and usability. These are general guidelines and
not all will be applicable to your book.

Preface

The preface will be read more widely than anything else in your book.
It will be used by reviewers for postpublication reviews, potential
buyers who are assessing your book, and readers who are using it. You
should write informally in the first person.

Identify your primary audience. If you are writing on a new topic,
explain it in simple terms. State the central theme and the book's purpose.

Tell why you wrote the book and why you feel the topic is important.
If you purposely omitted topics, explain why. Describe the book's
special features and material that cannot be found elsewhere.

If your book will be used as a textbook, state for which courses and
list the prerequisites. If supplemental material is available
electronically, give specific instructions on how to find it.

Describe the style of notation you are using and why. It is important
to use the notation that is accepted in your field.

Grant information and acknowledgments can also be included in your preface.

Once you have completed your preface, ask yourself if this is a book
that you would be interested in purchasing. (See Chapter
5 for more information.)

Introduction

An outline of the book should be provided in the introduction. Before
you begin the discussion, it is necessary to give an explanation of
what information will be presented, how it will be presented, and why
it will be presented in that way.

You should explain the topic and give background information on the
area you are writing about. It is important to relate the topic to
other mathematical areas. You should mention recent trends and new
methods or techniques you have used. Remember to include their limitations.

An overview that explains the main features of the book, how it is
organized, and how it can be used most effectively is very helpful.
Give the rationale for the selection of content and organization and
provide a one-sentence description of the contents for each chapter.

Define your goals in writing the book and identify the types of
problems you have selected and why. Explain to your readers what
learning about the topic will enable them to do. Have you included
real-life applications that are a result of or involve the
implementation of material presented in your book?

Discuss the hardware systems and software issues that you address or
that are used in conjunction with your book.

Main Text

There are many good books that contain tips on effective writing. One
we highly recommend is Handbook of Writing
for the Mathematical Sciences, Second Edition by Nicholas J. Higham
(SIAM, 1998). Our copy editors will check your text for typos, grammatical
errors, mathematical inconsistencies, and spelling. They will not change
your writing style.

Here are some things to keep in mind while writing:

Determine the readership level to which you are writing and keep it consistent.

Keep your notation and reference style consistent throughout the book.

Review your preface periodically to make certain you have not
strayed from your goals.

References

The recommended reference styles are explained in the Organization and
Numbering part of Chapter 5. However, it is
also acceptable for you to pick a style that is accepted in your field
and use it consistently throughout your book. Your references should be
as complete and up-to-date as possible. (See Chapter
5 for more information.)

Supplemental Readings

Suggestions for additional reading are an asset to any publication.
They can provide readers with a wealth of information. As with
references, each suggested reading should be as complete as possible.

Appendices

Effective use of appendices will make your book more reader friendly.
The main body of your text should not be interrupted by extensive
details. An appendix includes information that is essential but does
not fit comfortably within the main part of the text. The most common
use of an appendix is to present detailed analysis that would
distract the reader if it were given at the point where the results
of the analysis are needed. You could also include the following in
an appendix: detailed proofs, tables, computer program listings,
detailed numerical results, or additional readings. (See Chapter
5 for additional information.)

Index

A good index greatly enhances the value of a book and is an important
aid to the reader. We strongly encourage you to read our indexing guidelines,
available from your acquisitions editor, before beginning the index. (See Chapter 5 for additional information.)

Edited Books

An edited book can result from a workshop or tutorial, or it might be
in an area of research in which several people are required to
present the material adequately. The goal of the book must be clear
to your contributors for it to be clear to the reader. Each
contributor should be told of the complete content of the volume, the
focus, and the intended audience. Chapters should overlap just enough
to provide a clear connection; avoid repetition of information.
Provide each contributor with a preliminary preface. The following
guidelines will help you prepare a successful volume.

Develop a table of contents that flows easily from one chapter to the
next. Describe the content of each chapter and make this information
available to all contributors so that each author knows the scope and
limitations of his or her chapter.

Define all notation that will be used and keep it consistent
throughout the book.

Define the reference style and keep it consistent for all chapters.

Each author should highlight indexing terms for his or her
chapter (see Chapter 6). The index should
be compiled by the editor.

Number and cite all figures, equations, tables, etc. in the same
way (see Chapter 5).

An edited book will reflect the different writing styles of its
contributors but otherwise it should be as consistent as possible.

Conference Proceedings

A proceedings volume should be more than a record of the conference,
meeting, or workshop. It should give a summary of the state-of-the
art developments in the areas covered and provide direction for
future research. A tutorial introduction to the subject is required.

Papers should be organized in a logical fashion. The proceedings
volume should be more than an alphabetical compendium of papers. The
papers must be refereed by the editor before the manuscript is
submitted to SIAM.

Preparing the Proceedings Paper

We encourage the use of TeX or LaTeX. Macros are available from the
SIAM office. We will prepare special instructions to send to all
authors of a proceedings volume.

A page limitation may be set and a copyright release will be required
for each paper.

You and your SIAM editor will set a deadline. Papers will not be
accepted after this date. Timeliness of publication is essential for
proceedings. Unless deadlines are strictly adhered to, publication
schedules can be delayed indefinitely. We will count on you to help
us enforce this deadline.